Funding opportunities

> WELCOME II – Promoting the return of researchers to the European Research Area
Funding body: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal) and Marie Curie Actions
Important dates: Deadline for applications - 14 Mar 2011.
Description: This Programme allows Post-doc researchers of any Member State/Associated Country nationality living and carrying out research for the past 3 years in Third Countries (such as USA, Japan or China) to join institutions in Portugal, by signing 3-year employment contracts with their host institution.

> CYTED - Programa Ibero Americano de Ciência e Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento
Funding body: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal)
Important dates: Deadline for applications - 31 Mar 2011.
Description: The principal objective of the CYTED Programme is to contribute to harmonious and sustainable development in the Latin America region through cooperation in science, technology and innovation. Specific objectives are:
•      To encourage integration between Latin American Scientific and Technological Communities, promoting an agenda of shared priorities for the region.
•      To increase the capacity for technological development in Latin America through the promotion of joint scientific research, the transfer of knowledge and practices, and the exchange of scientists and technicians between R+D+I groups in the member states.
•      To encourage business sectors in the interested member states to participate in innovation processes, in accordance with the technological developments and research of Latin American Scientific and Technological Communities.
•      To encourage the region’s researchers to participate in other multilateral research programmes through mutual agreements.

>Human Frontier Science Program – Research Grants
Funding body: International Human Frontier Science Program Organization
Important dates: Deadline for applications - Compulsory Pre-Registration deadline for obtaining a reference number: 22 Mar 2011; Submission deadline: 31 Mar 2011.
Description: HFSP funding programs start at the postdoctoral level. No support is available for undergraduate or PhD students. Research grants are provided for teams of scientists from different countries who wish to combine their expertise in innovative approaches to questions that could not be answered by individual laboratories. Emphasis is placed on novel collaborations that bring together scientists preferably from different disciplines (e.g. from chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering) to focus on problems in the life sciences.
Applicants must submit a letter of intent to apply for a research grant via the HFSP website and, after review, selected teams will be invited to submit a full application. Two types of Research Grant are available: Young Investigators' Grants and Program Grants.

> EURONANOMED joint transnational call for proposals
Funding body: EuroNanoMed
Important dates: Deadline for application: 15 Apr 2011, 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Description: EuroNanoMed is launching its 3rd Joint Call for funding of transnational innovative research projects in Nanomedicine. This call will enable scientists from European and associated countries to establish collaborative research consortia spanning multiple disciplines. Participating Member states and Regions: Basque region (Spain), France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Walloon region (Belgium), Veneto region (Italy).
The thematic priorities of the call focus on the strategic research priorities of the European technology platform “Nanomedicine" are: Regenerative medicine; Diagnostics; and Targeted delivery systems.
* It is strongly advised that all applicants contact their EuroNanoMed National Contact Point in good time before the submission of a proposal.

> FP7- Nanosciences, Nanotecnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies (NMP)
Funding body: European Commission
Important dates: Deadline for applications - FP7-NMP-2011-EU-RUSSIA: 31 Mar 2011.
Description: The objective of the NMP thematic is to support the development of knowledge in nanotechnologies in order to create new products and industrial processes, leverage the potential of an interdisciplinary approach to materials research and continuously innovative production capabilities.

> FP7- Energy
Funding body: European Commission
Important dates: Deadline for applications - FP7-ENERGY-2011-2: 7 Apr 2011.
Description: The long term objective of the Energy thematic is to transform the current energy system based primarily on fossil fuels into a more sustainable system.

COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology
Funding body: COST Office
Important dates: Deadline for applications - Next collection date: 25 Mar 2011 at 17:00 (Brussels local time).
Description: COST invites researchers throughout Europe to submit proposals for research networks. A continuous Open Call for Proposals is used to attract the best proposals for new COST Actions. Minimum: five participants from COST Member-States.
Contact: National CSO Delegate and COST National Coordinator

> EUREKA – CLUSTERS
Funding body: EUREKA
Important dates: Permanent open call.
Description: EUREKA ‘Clusters’ are long-term, strategically significant industrial initiatives. They aim to develop generic technologies of key importance for European competitiveness mainly in ICT, energy and more recently in the biotechnology sector. Clusters bring together large companies, often competitors, along with SMEs, research institutes and universities, sharing both the risk and benefits of innovation. They focus on developing and commercially exploiting new technologies. Their goal is to ensure that Europe retains its leading position in the world market.
EUREKA projects are multilateral, high technology, European RTD projects. All projects should:
•      involve partners from at least two Eureka member countries;
•      aim to develop a cutting edge, high-tech, market-orientated, civilian product, process or service;
•      be funded by the partners themselves, through public financing from their national governments.

FURTHER NEWS:

> Consultation: Green Paper on a Common Strategic Framework for future EU Research and Innovation Funding

On 9th February 2011, the European Commission presented a Green Paper which proposes major changes to EU research and innovation funding to make participation easier, increase scientific and economic impact and provide better value for money. The changes, to be introduced in the next EU budget after 2013, would bring together the current Framework Programme for research, the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

The Commission is seeking the views of all interested individuals and organisations on these proposed changes and on the specific questions set out in the Green Paper. The deadline for contributions is Friday 20 May 2011. In parallel, a competition for the name of the Common Strategic Framework is being organised.

EU research and innovation funding – immediate changes to cut red tape for researchers and SMEs
The European Commission has adopted measures to make participation in the EU's current Seventh Framework Programme for Research more attractive and more accessible to the best researchers and most innovative companies, especially Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Based on the simplification plan unveiled by the Commission in April 2010, these measures will take effect at once.

Three concrete measures:
•      Allowing more flexibility in how personnel costs are calculated so that EU research grant-holders can apply their usual accounting methods when requesting reimbursement for average personnel costs. They will no longer need to set up entire parallel accounting systems just for this purpose;
•      SME owners whose salaries are not formally registered in their accounts can now be reimbursed, through flat-rate payments, for their contribution to work on research projects.
•      A new steering group of senior officials from all the Commission departments and agencies involved will remove inconsistencies in the application of the rules on research funding.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

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